The 36-year-old today pleaded guilty to stealing £970,000 when he appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court - but police remain in the dark about where most of the missing money has vanished.

THEFT FROM VAN

March parked the armoured blue van at 8.58am on Tuesday in a quiet road in Clapham, South West London.

One resident said he immediately thought it was suspicious “because there are no shops here”.

He said he called G4S at around 5.30pm but “they didn’t seem particularly concerned”.

It was not until 7pm the Met Police was alerted “to reports of a theft of cash deposit boxes”.

Amanda McCabe, prosecuting, told the court: "G4S did not record a report concerning the van until some ten hours after it had been abandoned and it was found money that should have been loaded into various lockers hadn’t been.

“It was found there was his body armour, phone and other items left in the van.

“Inquiries were made to locate the defendant, he was eventually followed to an address in Brixton, [where] police seized approximately £60,000 in cash and found some new clothing and footwear.

“The defendant was interviewed and gave account in which he complained about G4S as employers and complained about his mental health.

“There are potential others involved in this case and inquiries are ongoing.”

CATASTROPHIC SECURITY BLUNDER

Concerned residents on Larkhall Rise in Clapham contacted cops to tell them there was an armoured G4S van which had been parked outside all day - with a parking ticket on the dashboard.

One reported seeing March’s ID card on the front passenger seat and a note which said he was allowed to park on the double yellow lines as he was making deliveries.

March’s mum, Rowena Watson, 64, who lives with him just a short walk from where he abandoned the van told The Sun he had worked for G4S for “a few years” and had been “a bit stressed” before the robbery - but would not elaborate why.

She added: "As far as I know he never had any money issues."

G4S is the biggest security company in the UK for handling, transporting and processing cash.

But ex-Met chief superintendent Barry Phillips said: “Something has gone seriously wrong. The van’s movements should have been monitored and the controllers should have been in regular communication with the guard.”

He also found it “bewildering” the parking warden did not call the police after ticketing the van at around 5pm.

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LAD OF THE MANOR

Neighbours said it was finally towed away at 3.30am yesterday after being forensically examined.

G4S said: “These incidents are extremely rare in our UK Cash business and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police to resolve the matter.”

Bruce Reid, defending, said March did not apply for bail ahead of sentencing.

Magistrate, Karim Ezzat, told March he would be sentenced within a month, he said: “You indicated a guilty plea and its right you should be sentenced at a crown court, that will be done approximately in three weeks time."

GUARDS' 23 YEARS ON THE RUN

SECURITY guards fleeing with vast amounts of cash have been the target of previous manhunts.

One, “Fast” Eddie Maher, left, went on the run for 19 years after stealing £1.2million from his Securicor van.

He unloaded 30 bags of money as a colleague was inside a Lloyds Bank in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in 1993. Maher, an ex-soldier and fireman, sped off in a stolen Toyota before switching to an Opel Ascona. It was later found abandoned and burned out.

The dad of three flew to the US where he set up home in a small Colorado town. But he was eventually betrayed by his son and daughter-in-law. He was extradited in 2012 and jailed for five years.

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